Mizo Zirlai Pawl to make another attempt to construct rest house at Zophai

Aizawl: Mizoram apex student body, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) on Friday expressed disappointment for the government’s laxity to resolve the border dispute between Mizoram and Assam and said it will make yet another attempt to construct resting shed at Zophai, near Bairabi along the inter-state boundary.

MZP president L. Ramdinliana Renthlei alleged that the state government was not sincere enough to resolve the inter-state boundary dispute as it failed to conduct a consultative meeting over the options placed by the Centre during a meeting of officials from Mizoram and Assam at Silchar in April last, to resolve the long pending border dispute.

“We have intimated the central’s proposal of resolving the border dispute to state home additional secretary Lalbiakzama, who suggested discussion of the matter with the chief minister. But the chief minister office is yet to summon a consultative meeting on the issue,” Renthlei told The Telegraph.

He, however, lauded the Centre’s efforts to resolve the long pending border dispute between Assam and Mizoram.

“The Union Ministry of Home Affairs was sincere in its effort to resolve the border dispute. But unfortunately the state government was negligence to play its part,” Renthlei said.

He said that the union home ministry, during a meeting at Silchar on April 21, had proposed two options for continuation of the joint survey by Assam and Mizoram officials to identify illegal structures along the border.

The ministry proposed to conduct survey within the same diameter on both sides of the border especially in the disputed area and along the 509 square mile inner line reserve forest area and asked the Mizoram team to accept constitutional map drawn in 1993, he said.

Renthlei also said that the Centre had asked Mizoram officials to consult the state government regarding the proposal for continuation of the joint inspection as the official told the meeting that they could not discuss about border issue as it was outside their purview.

“We submitted the proposal to the state government as the Centre has asked to submit report within three days. But nothing is done till date,” Renthlei said, adding they are unlikely to accept the central’s proposal.

Renthlei also said that the MZP is firm on its stand and would make another attempt to construct resting shed at Zophai, near Bairabi on the Assam-Mizoram border.

The joint survey work by Assam and Mizoram to identify illegal structures along the inter-state boundary of the two states that began on April 12 has been temporarily suspended following a dispute over zero point at Dholchera-Phaisen area on April 18.